The Baltimore Police Department (BPD) updated how historical homicides are reported to follow the FBI's National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), officials said Thursday. 

The update will exclude historical homicides between 2022 to 2025 from the department's yearly count. Historical homicides are cases where a homicide death is reported in a year other than when it originally occurred, according to officials. 

The update may slightly affect previously reported homicide numbers, officials said. Four cases were removed from the 2025 count. 

The department was told in October that some historical homicides were counted in a way that was inconsistent with current NIBRS standards. 

In response, BPD reviewed its data with consultation from the FBI and Maryland State Police to ensure it complies with reporting standards. 

Moving forward, historical homicide cases will be removed from BPD's annual report and will be noted in cases reported from 2021 to the present. 

"The integrity of our data is critical to maintaining public trust and we want our community to have confidence that the information we share is both transparent and reliable," Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley said.

Recent data from the mayor's office shows that violent crime in Baltimore, including homicides and non-fatal shootings, has dropped in the past few years. 

As of Dec. 1, homicides have declined by 29% and non-fatal shootings have declined by 25% compared to the same time last year. 

The city recorded 127 homicides and 288 non-fatal shootings so far in 2025, as of Dec. 1. By this time last year, the city had recorded 181 homicides and 385 non-fatal shootings, data shows.